Rejoice in the Lord Always - Phil. 4:4
We Americans are living in a time when more people are suffering from discouragement, depression and disillusionment than at any time in history even though we are the richest country on the planet - why?
Illustration: Discouragement is dissatisfaction with the past, distaste for the present, and distrust of the future. It is ingratitude for the blessings of yesterday, indifference to the opportunities of today, and insecurity regarding strength for tomorrow. It is unawareness of the presence of beauty, unconcern for the needs of our fellowman, and unbelief in the promises of old. It is impatience with time, immaturity of thought, and impoliteness to God. William Ward.
Today in the Word, April, 1989, p. 18.
Let us rejoice in the Lord through praise. We get the English word praise from the Greek word eulogeo (eulogy) which means:
to praise, celebrate with praises
to invoke blessings
to consecrate a thing with solemn prayers
to ask God’s blessing on a thing
pray God to bless it to one’s use
pronounce a consecratory blessing on
of God
to cause to prosper, to make happy, to bestow blessings on
There is no greater joy than to give God praise.
Let us examine twenty two ways that we can practically obey the scripture and rejoice in the Lord always:
1. Appropriate the fact that the joy of the Lord is your spiritual strength. (Neh. 8:10) Praise God that in His presence is fullness of joy and in HIs right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psa 16:9-11)
2. Remember the promises of Jesus who said, "These things are written to you (obedience to my commands) so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be full." (JOHN 15:11)
3. Pray and praise and rejoice knowing that Paul gave the Biblical admonishment to an angry and fearful people, "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice." (Phil. 4:4)If Paul can rejoice while in prison I think we are in a much freer situation to do so today.
4. Remind yourself of your limitedless resources in Christ. Paul writes, "Strengthen with all power according to His glorious might for the obtaining of steadfastness and patience with joy." (Col. 1:11)
5. Sing the famous song, "Joy to the world the Lord is come. Let earth receive her King." Isaac Watts great hymns inspire, instruct and illuminate truth to our hearts and minds that we need to fully realize. We can always find joy in Jesus that is greater than all our problems.
6. Sing the famous hymn, "Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love. Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee opening to the Son of love. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness. Drive the doubts of dark away. Giver of immortal gladness. Fill us with the light of day." Great hymns, psalms and spiritual songs have a way of lifting up our eyes to the hills from whence comes our help. Our help is in the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. (Psa 121:1-3)
7. Sing the glorious song, "Praise the Savior, you who know Him who can tell how much we owe Him. Gladly let us render to Him. All we are and have. Jesus is the name that charms us. He for conflicts, fits and arms us. Nothing moves and nothing harms us. While we trust in Him. Trust in Him you saints forever. He is faithful changing never. Neither force nor guile can sever. Those He loves from Him." Thank God that the joy of the Savior can always be counted on to deliver you from any sadness, hopeless feeling or problem.
8. Pray the prayer that David prayed when he felt sadness. "Commit your way to the Lord, delight yourself in the Lord, trust also in Him and He will bring things to pass... Do not worry, fret or grow angry, it leads only to evil doing." (Psa. 34:3-7)Delighting in the Lord, means praising Him for His attributes of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. By praising God for His characteristics we can fix our eyes on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, excellent, admirable and praise-worthy. (Phil. 4:8)
9. Refuse to give in to worry or fear or discouragement. Many people and cirucmstances will try to break your heart if you let them, but don’t let them. "Do not give into worry or anger it only leads to trouble." (Psa 37:,6-8) We have a choice to either grow better or to get bitter. No one in their right mind would want to grow into an old grump!
10. Remember to think, pray and react to problems the way the apostle Paul did, "As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. As poor, yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things." (2 COR 6:1-12)
Follow Paul’s ability to overcome the the hardships of life by not personalizing your problems. Believe that the Lord will give you the ability to work through the pain, problems and sadness of your life. Only the Lord’s Spirit can give you the strength to turn tragedies into triumphs. Paul learned how to be pressed but not crushed, persecuted yet not abandoned, perplexed but not in despair, put down but not put own.
Application: Always, did Paul carry in His body the death of the Lord Jesus so that the life of Christ would be made manifest in His body. We can do the same by faith, godly discipline and prayer obedience.
11. Model the inner joy that Stephen experienced even while being persecuted for his faith and matryed. The inward joy of Stephen made him stronger, but allowed him to pray for those who were stoning him. Let the joy of the Lord use you to be a witness in the midst of the dark valleys of the shadow of death so you will not have to fear any evil. (Psalm 23)
12. Remember that sorrow only last for a little while. David wrote, "Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning." (Psa 126) Realize that sadness is temporay but His joy is everlasting and greater than any earthly sorrow.
Song: Come ye, disconsolate, where’er ye languish. Come to the mercy seat. Fervently knee. Here bring your wounded heart. Here tells your anguish. Earth has no sorrow, that heaven cannot heal.
13. Be careful that you do not let your sadness paralyze you from acting on what is true. "Melancholy sadness paralyzes one, but do not be overcome with evi, but overcome evil with good." (ROMANS 12:21) Appropriate the fact that greater is He who is in us than the one who is in the world.
Application: By rejoicing in the Lord always we can overcome the paralyzing sadness that renders so many apathetic, indifferent and complacent.
14. Remind yourself of the Lord’s goodness, mercy and compassion and praise Him regardless of your feelings.
15. Rejoice in your trials knowing that they work a greater Godly maturity in you to allow you to be more like Jesus. (James 1:2-5)
16. Do not think it strange when you are going through various trials. Know that they are giving you greater identification with our Lord so that you can rejoice when His glory will be revealed." (I Pet 4:12)
Application: Do you not want to have the Lord find you rejoicing in Him instead of being a complainer? Remember that God multiplies rejoicers but diminishes the effects of the complainers. (Jer 30:19)
17. Remember that Jesus was able to sing a hymn of praise and joy knowing He was in the will of God." (MATT 26-28) Praise God from whom all blessing flow. Praise Him when you are feeling good and when you are down. Rejoice in His goodness at all times. Singing to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Singing and making melody in your hearts. And whatever you do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Col. 3:16) Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free? NO, there’s a cross for everyone and there’s a cross for me. That cross will never be too heavy that we cannot praise God in the midst of our hardship.
18. Remember the words of the famous song,
Illustration: "O joy that seeks me through pain. I cannot close my hear to Thee. I trace the rainbox through the rain and feel the promise is not vain. That morn shall tearless be. - George Matheson wrote those words even though he lost his sight as a young boy and spent 30 years in darkness.
19. Remember the words of Fanny Crosby, the famous blind hymn writer who wrote,
Illustration: " Redeemed and so happy in Jesus. No language my rapture can tell. I know in the light of His presence with me He continually dwells.
20. Remember Paul and Silas who with their bleeding back and feet positioned in chains, strengthened themselves by singing praise to God in the Roman Dungeon.
21. Remember Paul, who wrote, rejoice in the Lord always, while chained to a crusty Roman guard in prison, awaiting death.
22. Paul was often more concerned about others joy than his own. He wrote to the Philippians, "I cover the gift for your own benefit and joy. (Phil. 4:17)
Concluding Illustration: During the Thirty Years’ War in the 17th century, German pastor Paul Gerhardt and his family were forced to flee from their home. One night as they stayed in a small village inn, homeless and afraid, his wife broke down and cried openly in despair. To comfort her, Gerhardt reminded her of Scripture promises about God’s provision and keeping. Then, going out to the garden to be alone, he too broke down and wept. He felt he had come to his darkest hour. Soon afterward, Gerhardt felt the burden lifted and sensed anew the Lord’s presence. Taking his pen, he wrote a hymn that has brought comfort to many. "Give to the winds thy fears; hope, and be undismayed; God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears; God shall lift up thy head. Through waves and clouds and storms He gently clears the way. Wait thou His time, so shall the night soon end in joyous day."
It is often in our darkest times that God makes His presence known most clearly. He uses our sufferings and troubles to show us that He is our only source of strength. And when we see this truth, like Paster Gerhardt, we receive new hope. Are you facing a great trial? Take heart. Put yourself in God’s hands. Wait for His timing. He will give you a "song in the night."
Our Daily Bread, May 7, 1992.
